Electrical ground clamp



Sept. 24, 1946. c. J. sHRADER ELECTRICAL GROUND CLAMP Filed March 51,1943 C halmdn John VShrader l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 24, 1946vUNITED STATES PATENT oEFICE Chalmon John Shrader, Henrico County, Va.Application March 31, 1943, Serial No. 481,367

This invention relates to electrical ground clamp or connections andmore particularly to arc Welding connections.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a clamp adaptedto be connected to various sizes of conductors. y

Another object of this invention is the provision of an adjustableclamp.

Other objects and features will more fully appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical side View; Fig. 2, a sectional portional side view;Fig. 3, a top plan view, and Fig. 4, an electrical circuit.

Referring to the drawing, an angular male member I is disposed inslidable fashion in an angular-female member 2 and is provided with aball and socket joint l3 to which is connected a contact 4.

A contact 5, similar to 4, is connected to a ball and socket joint 6disposed in one end of a rod 'I slidable through end 8 of the femalemember 2, and adapted to lbe secured by a lock-nut 9.

Contacts 4 and 5 are held together by a spring I; the ends o1' which arerespectively secured to members I and 2.

A contact member l I is secured near one end of member I While a contactI2 is disposed near one end of member 2 as shown in Fig. 1. Contactmember II engages slot I3 throughout its length to preventcircumferential displacement with respect to members I and 2. Welding ofmember II to sleeve I through slot I3 of member 2, may be accomplishedby applying one terminal of a source of current to sleeve I through suchslot and the other terminal of the source to member II, therebycompleting a circuit and effecting the welding of member II to sleeve I,in the manner well known in the resistance welding art. Furthermore, itis obvious that the shank of part II may -be circular and have its endthreaded to engage a correspondingly threaded hole in sleeve I.

Female member 2 is provided with a toothed end I4 adapted to scrape rustand non-conducting materials from a conducting material; while aswiveled hook I5 having a pair of resilient legs IS-II is adapted forbeing clamped to the device at any suitable point so that said hook maybe secured to an object and thus support the dev1ce.

B'Clams. (Cl. 173-273) 4--5 open and may be closed upon said metal thussecuring the device to the metal in electri cal circuit.

To secure the device, for instance, inside an angular metal bar C,members I and 2 are pulled against spring tension and contacts II--I2move toward each other and may be inserted in tube and electricalcontact thus made; as illustrated An electrical conductor I8 isconnected to male member I and adapted to conduct electrical curin theschematic electrical diagram of Fig. 4, in which current passes throughconductor A from generator B, through the angular bar C and de- Y viceand returning to the generator via conductor I8.

Magnetic Iblocks 20y are respectively secured to members I-2 and adaptedto hold the device in a iixed position against any material that isattracted by said blocks.

Having described this claimed is:

1. In an electrical connector, a tubular meminvention, what is 'berhaving a slot through its side wall longitudia second gripping elementmounted upon the end of said rod adjacent said iirst element.

2. In a connector as dei-ined in claim 1, eac-h of said grippingelements being universally pivotally mounted upon said one arm and rod.

3. In an electrfical connector, a tubular member, having a slot throughits side wall longitudinally of said member, a hollow mem-bertelescopically tting said tubular member, a tension spring within saidhollow member and having its ends secured to said members, respectively,a first clamp element having a shank extending through said slot andthere secured to said hollow member, a second clamp element having ashank secured to said tubular member adjacent its end receiving saidhollow member, a parallel arm projecting laterally from the free end ofeach of said members, a rod mounted on one said arm for adjustmenttoward and from theV other arm,

means carried by said arm and securing said rod

